Brașov

Brașov's Black Church reflects the history of its Saxon community, medieval commerce and religious reform. Construction began in the late fourteenth century and continued for almost a century. Originally a Catholic parish church, it became a centre of the Lutheran Reformation in Transylvania. A major fire in 1689 destroyed its roof and severely damaged the interior, initiating a long reconstruction. The church preserves Ottoman carpets donated by individuals and guilds, recalling the city's trading connections. Its musical heritage includes the organ built by Carl August Buchholz between 1836 and 1839, with 3,993 pipes. The building remains a place of worship where architecture, donated furnishings and music record successive periods of community life.